Manab offers pranam,CPM seals its lips

States Tourism Minister Manab Mukherjee raised eyebrows when he offered pranam and drank the charanamitra at the temple of Goddess Nalateswari at Nalhati in Birbhum ditrict on Monday evening.

The minister had gone there to inaugurate a tourism circuit connecting Nalhati,Bolpur and Bakreswar in Birbhum district. The circuit included several projects including the upgrade of several temples in the area.

I am a Communist and an atheist. I just offered my respects and nothing else. I dont think I have done anything that goes against Marxist tenets, Mukherjee said today when asked to explain if he had gone against his partys philosophy.

CPM leaders refused to comment on the issue.

On September 6,2006,late State Minister Subhas Chakrabary had gone to Tara temple of Tarapith,also in Birbhum district,and offered flowers to the

Goddess,prompting late Jyoti basu to remark he had never heard any Communist doing this.

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